President Trump Signs Budget Deal Repealing Therapy Caps

Federal government remains active through March 23 as a result

This morning President Donald J. Trump signed a budget agreement that not only keeps the federal government running for another six weeks, but provides two years’ worth of funding for numerous healthcare-related programs, signaling the end of a decades-long battle to offer Medicare recipients unfiltered access to outpatient therapies.

The bill also reduces Medicare fee cuts for physicians in 2019, and includes provisions that permanently repeal Medicare caps on outpatient therapies and other rehabilitation services.

In January, a cap was placed upon Medicare outpatient therapies and other services some 20 years after the Balanced Budget Act approved such measures. Over the years, Congress extended or prevented the implementation of the cap some 16 different times before services were limited starting January 1, 2018.

Today’s permanent repeal means the end to the long battle—and a new era for Medicare recipients, who will enjoy the same access as other patients to physical and occupational therapy, as well as speech-language pathology services.

According to the Congressional Budget Office, the new package will cost about $320 billion over 10 years.